Equalizer for mainspring-drives.



F. GUNDORPH.

EQUALIZER FOR MAINSPRING DRIVES. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12. 1914. RENEWED DEC.26.1916.

1 ,22 1 ,986 Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

W/tn ea: es. Z 6 W. /mren fal UTEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND GUNDORPH, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

EQUALIZER FOR MAINSPRING-DRIVES.

Application filed November 12, 1914, Serial No. 871,651.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND GUNDORPH, a citizen of ,the United States, residing in the city of Portland, county of Multnomah, and State of Oregon,'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Equalizers for Mainspring-Drives, of which the follow ing is a specification.

My invention relates to equalizers for main-spring drives, and more particularly to a mechanism adapted to be interposed between a spring driven driving member and a driven member driven thereby, whereby the driving tension is kept uniform at all times whether the main driving spring is fully wound, or partially run down. The invention is especially suited for use between the main spring gear of a time mechanism and the escapement thereof. It is well known that when a main spring is fully wound there is a power exerted thereby which is considerably more than it is after the spring is partially run down, thus there is a varying tension transmitted to the escape wheel which is objectionable, and it is the object of my invention to overcome this cause for objection.

In order that others may fully understand my invention, I have shown in the accompanying sheet of drawings one practical. embodiment thereof, as adapted to a clock mechanism, showing only so much of such clock mechanism as is necessary to illustrate the application of my invention thereto, and which will now be described in detail.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention, showing in fragmentary sectional view the usual carrying frame of a clock mechanism;

Fig. 2- is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of a spring driven driving wheel in mesh with a pinion provided with stop arms;

Fig. 3 is a view of the opposite end of the pinion; and

Fig. 4 is a back View of a pinion having three stop arms instead of four, as shown in Fig. 3.

In the drawings 1-1 designate the front and back frame members of a clock mechanism. 9, designates a shaft or arbor having bearings at its opposite ends in said frame members, substantially as shown. Said shaft or arbor is provided in its middle with a threaded portion 2 on which is loosely threaded a pinion 3, which meshes with and is driven by a gear 4, which is driven from Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

Renewed Becember 26, 1916. Serial No. 139,048.

a main spring, not shown, but would be a spring adapted to be wound periodically, as is the main spring of an eight day clock, for example. Said pinion 3 is provided at its outer end with a disk-like portion, as 3*, from which project radially four short arms, -3, adapted when in one position to enage a stop screw, 5, set in the frame memer 1. Secured rigidly on said shaft or arbor for turning the same, is an escape-wheel 7 designates a light spiral spring, or hairspring attached at one end to said escape-wheel, and at its opposite end to the hub of said pinion 3, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

As the shaft or arbor 2 is turned by said escape-wheel, its threaded portion 2 turns into the pinion 3, pulling said pinion gradually inwardly until the arm 3? which is in engagement with the stop 5, can pass said stop, whereupon said pinion is driven by said main wheel 4 a quarter turn, which moves it outwardly again until the next arm 3 catches on the stop 5. This quarter turn of the pinion 3 operates to tension the hair spring 7, which keeps the escape-wheel 6 and arbor 2, turning. Thus, by intermittently tensioning the hair spring 7 by the partial turn each time of the pinion 3, it operates to keep the escape-wheel 6 going under a uniform tension. This intermittent tensioning of said hair spring is accomplished by the intermittent turns imparted to the pinion 3 by the main-spring-actuated gear 4:. The movement of the pinion under the main spring drive is intermittently stopped by the movement of the pinion longitudinally of the arbor 2, produced by the threaded portion of said arbor, said pinion. being intermittently drawn along the arbor until its arms will pass the stop, whereupon it is given a quarter turn by the main-spring-actuated wheel 4, which turn moves it back to a position so that the next arm catches the stop 5 and it is held there until again drawn out by the threaded portion of the arbor 2.

In order that there may be no frictional engagement of the arms 3 with the end of the stop 5 as said arms pass and as said pinion moves outwardly on the arbor, said arms are beveled, as indicated by the diagonal line 3, Fig. 1.

In Fig. i I have shown a pinion having only three stop arms instead of four. In this case the pinion would be intermittently turned a third of a turn each time an arm is moved out of stop engagement with the stop 5.

I am aware that other changes can be made in the embodiment oi the invention here shown for illustrative purposes, and I do not, therefore, limit the invention to this particular form, except as i may be limited by the hereto appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a driving member and a driven member, a pinion driven by said driving member, means for shifting said pinion bodily, a spring for driving said driven member connected therewith and with said pinion, and adapted to be intermittently tensioned by the turning of said pinion, and means for intermittently stopping said pinion.

2. in combination with a spring-driven driving member, a driven member, a second spring for driving said driven member, and means movable bodily longitudinally of its axis of rotation operated by said driving member for intermittently tensioning said second spring for driving said driven member.

3. in combination with a driving gear adapted to be driven by a main spring, an escape-wheel having an arbor threaded at one end, a second spring for driving said escape wheel, a pinion threaded to turn on said arbor driven by said driving gear and connected with said second spring for ten sioning the same, and means for intermittently stopping and holding said pinion against movement circumferentially.

4. In a device of the characterreferred to, in combination, a driving gear, an arbor provided with a threaded portion and rev olubly mounted, a pinion loosely threaded on said arbor and adapted to be driven by said driving gear, an escape-wheel secured to said arbor, a small spring secured to said escape-wheel and to the pinion and adapted to drive said escape-wheel, and means for intermittently stopping said pinion.

In a device of the character referred to, in combination, a main-spring-driven gear, an arbor revolubly mounted and provided with a threaded portion, apinion loosely threaded on said arbor and meshing with said gear, said pinion having a plurality of stops arranged circuinierentially thereof at a space apart, a driving spring attached at one end to said pinion and at its other end connected to drive said arbor, whereby said arbor is turned to move said pinion thereon, longitudinally thereof, and a stop adapted to be engaged by the stops on said pinion when said pinion is in one position longitudinally oi said arbor, substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class referred to, an arbor revolubly mounted and having a threaded portion, a pinion threaded on said arbor, a spring interposed between said pinion and said arbor and adapted to drive the arbor, means for driving the pinion, and means for intermittently stopping and holding said pinion, substantially as described.

7. In a mechanism of the character referred to, a pinion, an arbor on which said pinion is threaded, whereby to be moved longitudinally of said arbor as it is rotated thereon, means for driving said pinion, and.

means for intermittently stopping said pinion as it is revolved.

8. In combination with an escapement of a time mechanism, an arbor on which the escape-wheel is secured, said arbor having a threaded portion, a pinion threaded thereon, a power gear in mesh with said pinion, said pinion having stop arms and being movable on said arbor, longitudinally thereof, by said threaded portion, a stop member positioned to engage said stop arms when said pinion is in one position, and a spring interposed between said escape-wheel and said pinion and adapted to drive said escapewheel and said arbor, whereby to intermittently release said pinion from said stop member, substantially as described.

Signed at Portland, Oregon, this 6th day of November, 1914-.

FERDINAND GUNDORPH. in presence of:

CHRISTIAN Ci-inis'rnnsnn, J. C. Srnnno.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

